The New Haven RR Image Page -- Beverage Service!

THE IMAGE PAGE

The 'image page' is where we put a changing variety of New Haven Railroad photographs and advertising material for you to enjoy. Be sure to check back here often because we plan to refresh these images on a regular basis.

Beverage Service!

July 1st, 2000

The New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department offered alcoholic beverage service on dining cars, grill cars, bar cars, and parlor cars. In fact, the New Haven credited its hard-drinking New York City commuters with keeping its entire food service operation profitable! All materials from the collection of Marc Frattasio .

The New Haven Railroad operated special bar cars starting in the late 1940s. These cars were literally bar-rooms or taverns on rails. This beverage shaped advertising "drop" was placed on coach seats to remind passengers that there was a bar car available.

Although the New Haven's bar cars were most commonly associated with the New York City commuter trains, bar cars were operated on a variety of special movements, such as the "Gansett Flyer" horse race trains to Naragansett Park.

The Pullman Company operated the beverage service offered on board most New Haven parlor cars between 1913 and 1956. Afterwards, this service was provided by the New Haven Railroad Dining Car Department. At left is an example of a parlor car beverage menu from the late 1950s.

Here is a selection of New Haven Railroad bartender's equipment used during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Shown are a cocktail shaker, drink cooler, glass and cobalt blue stirring stick set on a bar tray. All of the silverplate articles were made by the International Silver company in 1947 and are marked with the words "New Haven RR" on the bottom.

These items were used on bar cars and parlor cars during the 1960s. The paper cup features color artwork of an EMD FL-9 locomotive, the S.S. Pierce brandy bottle has "The New Haven R.R." printed on its label, and the plastic drink stirrer is marked "NHRR".